Hinges are widely used in devices where opening, closing, and rotation of components are required. In devices utilizing electricity or fluids, such as rotating viewing screens, hinges also must allow for passage of cables, tubes, or wires through the hinge. In this way, both components of the device to which the hinge is attached are provided with an operational element such as electricity or fluid.
The present application provides a rotatable hinge with cableways for connecting components of a device when rotation is required. The use of thin, high-definition viewing screens has increased in both industry and consumer applications. In one embodiment, multiple screens are connected by such hinges to allow for compact storage when the screens are not in use, as well as extended viewing area when the screens are in use.
Many times, only a screen fixed to a wall or stationary console will have a convenient connection to an electric or a network source. Thus, a secondary screen attached to the fixed screen by a rotatable hinge would require electricity and other connections, such as network connections, through the hinge. Connecting such hinged screens individually to wall-sources of operational elements, such as electricity, rather than being able to connect the screens in series with the operational elements proceeding through the connecting hinges, would be inconvenient.
The present disclosure therefore provides a rotatable hinge with cableways for situations in which rotation is required between two or more components and a connection is required between the components to supply an operational element such as electricity, a network connection, or a fluid.
In one embodiment of the disclosure, a hinge is provided. The hinge includes a first connecting plate, a second connecting plate, a hinge element rotatably coupling said first and second connecting plates, a first pin coupled to the first connecting plate, wherein said first pin extends through a first end of the hinge element, a locking bracket coupled to the second connecting plate, and a second pin coupled to a second end of the hinge element, wherein said second pin extends through the locking bracket.
In another embodiment of the disclosure, the locking bracket further comprises a friction lock. In still another embodiment of the disclosure, the locking bracket and hinge element further comprise cableways for one or more cables to traverse the hinge element from the first connecting plate to the second connecting plate. In yet another embodiment of the disclosure, the cableways comprise cable tabs.
In another embodiment of the disclosure, a hinge is provided including a first connecting plate, a second connecting plate, a hinge element rotatably coupling said first and second connecting plates, a first pin coupled to the first connecting plate, wherein said first pin extends through a first end of the hinge element, a locking bracket coupled to the second connecting plate, and a second pin coupled to a second end of the hinge element, wherein said second pin extends through the locking bracket, and further including a second hinge element rotatably coupling said first and second connecting plates, a third pin coupled to the second connecting plate, wherein said third pin extends through a first end of the second hinge element, a second locking bracket coupled to the first connecting plate, and a fourth pin coupled to a second end of the second hinge element, wherein said fourth pin extends through the second locking bracket.
In another embodiment, the locking brackets further comprise friction locks, and in still another embodiment, the first hinge element and the second hinge element have the same shape.
In yet another embodiment, the hinge further comprises a fifth pin that longitudinally traverses both hinge elements in between the connecting plates. In another embodiment, the locking brackets and hinge elements further comprise cableways for one or more cables to traverse the hinge elements from the first connecting plate to the second connecting plate. In still another embodiment, the cableways comprise cable tabs.
In other embodiments of the hinge, the connecting plates are movable between an opened position and a closed position, wherein the connecting plates are rotated 180 degrees relative to the closed position when in the opened position. In another embodiment, as the connecting plates move between the opened position and the closed position, the hinge element rotates about the first and second pins and the locking bracket shifts position relative to the second connecting plate. In other embodiments, as the connecting plates move between the opened position and the closed position, the hinge elements rotate about the first, second, third, and fourth pins, and the first locking bracket shifts position relative to the second connecting plate, and the second locking bracket shifts position relative to the first connecting plate.
Still in other embodiments, the cable tabs comprise protrusions, which extend outwardly from the locking bracket. In yet other embodiments, the cable tabs comprise sunken channels within the locking bracket. In still other embodiments, the hinge further comprises one or more springs.
Another embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for mechanically and electrically connecting two electronic components comprising coupling a first connecting plate, a second connecting plate with a locking bracket, and a hinge element by a first pin coupled to the first connecting plate, wherein said first pin extends through a first end of the hinge element and a second pin coupled to a second end of the hinge element, wherein said second pin extends through the locking bracket, attaching the first connecting element to a first electronic component, attaching the second connecting element to a second electronic component, and providing one or more wired connections between the electronic components through a cableway formed by the connecting plates and hinge element.
In still another embodiment, a method for mechanically and electrically connecting two electronic components further comprises inserting a second hinge element rotatably coupling said first and second connecting plates, inserting a third pin coupled to the second connecting plate, wherein said third pin extends through a first end of the second hinge element, coupling a second locking bracket to the first connecting plate, and inserting a fourth pin coupled to a second end of the second hinge element, wherein said fourth pin extends through the second locking bracket.
In yet another embodiment, the method further comprises attaching at least one spring between the electronic components.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.